


Are You One Or Two?

by walkawayfromemptygold



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Fix It Fic, Fix-It, Fix-It of Sorts, Season/Series 02 Spoilers, Snaibsel, Swearing, mild violence, slight Artemis/Zatanna
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-28
Updated: 2016-07-28
Packaged: 2018-07-27 08:20:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7610677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/walkawayfromemptygold/pseuds/walkawayfromemptygold
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How Zatanna deals with Doctor Fate</p>
            </blockquote>





	Are You One Or Two?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sunkelles](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunkelles/gifts).



> Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Written for Sarah and because I binge watched Young Justice season 2 in like a day and this is what I wanted throughout it.

AN: Song for this fic: Vampire by People in Planes.

* * *

It's messy and it's fucked up the first time it happens. She's part of the League, not the team, so she gets to see the people she still sees as more adult than she is. She may be an adult technically but she still feels like she needs a better adult sometimes, a more adult adult, a more experienced person. Sure Wonder Woman or Black Canary or any of them would probably help if she admitted she has a problem but she's had problems just trying to admit it to herself and she's finally ready to admit it. She sees Doctor Fate and it's like a sucker punch to the gut like always, about to rise from the table, despite the fact he doesn't have anything to do.

"Wait. Please." The words escape her mouth and familiar eyes stare at her coldly.

"You cannot have your father back." He tells her before she can say anything else because he knows what she wants.

"Can we just-talk?" Zatanna asks, it's more pleading than anything and he pauses for a moment before he sits down again.

"We have nothing to discuss." Doctor Fate says but she winces at that.

"Maybe we don't." She agrees and that's it. She just sits next to him for an unknown amount of time, it could be minutes it could be hours, but her stomach reveals that she needs to eat and loudly.

"Go. Eat something." Doctor Fate says, it's not her father, it's not, but his voice is perhaps a little kinder than it was before.

He disappears and she hates herself for wasting time, he isn't her father, but maybe her father was aware she was there. Maybe not, she's starving and she's too lightheaded and emotionally fucked up to see straight, this is ripping her apart. She just wants her dad.

That's all.

* * *

The second time it happens is after a battle and she's healing slowly. It was dumb, it was dumbdumbdumb, but Doctor Fate hadn't seen the attack that was about to hit his back, her father's back, their back. She took it for him, them. It's so hard to recognize it isn't just Doctor Fate in there, and she's breathing more shallowly than anyone would like, the gash across her stomach is healing too slowly for her to try and use magic. She's too weak. It's not going to kill her, it's just going to really suck. She can hear the doors to the med ward open, and it's not another dose of pain meds. It's Doctor Fate, it's _them_.

"That was very foolish." Fate's voice reeks of disapproval but he still moves close, closer and closer until she can see him looking over her. She can't move up from her back and her outfit is damaged and she's achy and he's not really her dad, or at least her dad isn't in control.

"It was worth it to protect you. Both of you." Zatanna coughs and it sends shocks of pain through her system. She sees a golden arm being waved over her stomach and she blinks as she tries to lift her head enough to see what he's doing.

"Your father would not be pleased with me if I let you die." He says crisply and Zatanna wonders if her dad is influencing him but her head is too light and she feels a tickling sensation on the skin of her stomach before she manages to move an arm to give her leverage to see her stomach. Her costume is fine, and so is she. Doctor Fate, they're walking away, they're walking away and all she wants is a hug from her dad, that used to make everything better.

"It wouldn't have killed me." She says, voice shaky. Doctor Fate turns as if considering her.

"Perhaps." He says tonelessly. She exhales a few times before he says anything else.

"Perhaps not." Doctor Fate says and he disappears and she _is alone again._

* * *

Another year passes and she lives alone. She was always a little introverted and Zatanna tries not to mind, but it's Christmas and her dad should be here and they should be celebrating. One dumb mistake cost her everything, cost the only family she has. The other Leaguers would say it was a noble sacrifice, Doctor Fate, just Doctor Fate would say it was necessary for the protection of Earth but she doesn't _care_. She doesn't care about the planet she'd tear it apart if she knew there was another way, if there was a way to get her dad back. There might not ever be another way to get her dad back. She's in the middle of drinking hot chocolate and feelings sorry for herself in the house she used to share with her dad when the doorbell rings.

It's strange because few people know where she lives and it's not advertised to anyone. Zatanna can't actually remember telling anyone she lived here, so she moves with caution, to the door.

There's a flash of familiar blonde hair, and a kind face. Artemis. She opens the door.

"Hey, Zatanna." The blonde's voice is soft and Zatanna ignores the moisture in her eyes.

"I know this must be a hard time and we're not always around but-" Artemis trails off for a moment as Zatanna shuts the door.

"But?" Zatanna prompts.

"But I know you are a good person and you don't deserve to be alone right now." Artemis finishes and Zatanna shakes her head. She's not good, even if she tries so damn hard to be.

"So I'm here, up for whatever you want. We can stay here, we can go suit up and kick ass, we can go to the team's party tomorrow, I'm up for whatever you want. Even if that means leaving you alone. Just because you're the only one in the house doesn't mean you're alone. The team, the League, we're all here for you." Artemis says earnestly and Zatanna hates herself but she says it anyway.

"Everyone but my dad." She mutters but she's not sure if Artemis hears it or not.

"What about your mom?"

"My mom is currently with my sister, she's going to get married and they're over their heads in wedding talk." That new information makes her eyebrows shoot up.

"To who?" Zatanna asks because it's distracting and she needs it.

"Red Arrow." He's still trying to find the real Roy Harper, it's year two but he's also in love with her sister and she respects that.

"Speaking of-shouldn't you be with Wally?" They've been getting close or so she heard.

"Wally is with his family. It's blood relatives only and I didn't want to crash. He doesn't see them that often." Artemis excuses.

"So-are you up for doing something or do you want me to leave you alone?" Artemis asks after a moment of silence.

"Stay. Please." Zatanna says and the blonde nods. This is just a house now, wherever her dad was, that meant home when she was younger. She doesn't even know where he is now.

* * *

It's been a week or two with Artemis, but the gaping hole that her dad left is still there and she knows it isn't going to be any better until the helmet comes off.

Sometimes she gets these violent impulses to throw herself at him and try to rip the helmet off, to destroy Doctor Fate and get her dad back. She always calls Black Canary to spar with her or Artemis to go find criminals to hurt when that happens and she doesn't look at Doctor Fate for days afterwards, she can still feel the anger course like magma through her veins, the bruises she got from distracting herself from her rage and she knows it's useless, she knows it helps no one. She knows. Whenever there's a new villian in those periods though, she's more merciless than usual, she's harder and more hurtful.

Doctor Fate always seems to know when she's angry, and he looks at her for long moments and she has to resist the urge to restrain him with a spell or anything and scream at him that she wants her dad to talk, it's his body after all, he deserves some control of it. She just bites her tongue until it bleeds or hurts something, and sometimes herself in the process. The bruises distract her for a little while.

None of them mention it, but she's sure they all know, she can't take being on assignments with Doctor Fate, she has to watch both of their backs and she runs herself ragged on those missions.

"You're going to end up dead if you keep doing this." Black Canary's voice is hard and soft, a warning wrapped with concern and if she was more hydrated maybe tears would come out of her eyes but she isn't so they don't and she wants to scream again.

"You're exhausted every time you come back from some of these missions and the others do not seem so worn out. What's going on inside that head of yours, Zatanna?" The older woman is nice and reminds her of Artemis but it doesn't negate the fact she still wants to scream at her.

 _I have to watch my father's body be controlled like he's no more than a puppet, daily and it's my fault, it's my fault, it's all my fault and he must hate me for it. I haven't spoken to my father in years and it's eating me from the inside out._ She wants to say it but she doesn't.

"I guess it's just because I'm younger." Zatanna rises and leaves the office as she hears Black Canary protest. It doesn't matter, she's going back to her house. It's not a home and hasn't been for a long time.

* * *

She's lying on the ground, eyes going in and out of focus. The others are fighting, she was dead weight as soon as she flew into the rock. She can't do anything but look at the sky, she can't move her head, she doesn't think she can move anything. There was such a huge amount of pain, it all seems a little distant, out of reach now. She might be bleeding, Zatanna can't tell if she is or not.

"Zatanna!" She hears Black Canary shout and she tries to say something but she's not sure what she should say.

_Help. Dad. Goodbye._

She can't remember what she picks and it doesn't matter anyway because she finds that she can't make noise, can't even move her lips. Someone picks her up and her head lolls, and she can hear people talking but it's starting to fade away.

"Foolish girl." A close voice says and there's light as her eyes attempt to focus.

"Dad?" She asks, trying to move her arm to reach the voice. She doesn't hear an answer as her eyes close.

* * *

"Maybe you should consider rejoining the team again. You can still be part of the League but-" She's still covered in blood and exhausted, Black Canary speaks but a deeper voice interrupts her. It reminds her of Nightwing before she swallows and realizes it's Batman.

"You are constantly putting yourself in harm's way on this team to protect others." He says and his voice holds no judgement, but maybe a hint of concern, weariness and curiousity.

"It must be hard having so many kids." She doesn't mean to say it aloud but she does and she can't tell if he has a reaction to her words.

"That's not the topic we are discussing." Batman's voice is sharp and she's rubbing her eyebrow when she realizes she's just moving the drying blood around her face.

"It almost seems like you don't see your life as something valuable. You're so eager to save others at the cost of yourself and we're worried about what this means for the League." Wonder Woman speaks up and Black Canary speaks after her.

"And you."

"Maybe I should take a break." Zatanna agrees before her exhaustion overtakes her, and she slumps forward on the table. Doctor Fate healed her, but he didn't take the weariness and exhaustion out of her bones.

* * *

She wakes up at her house. She doesn't know which member took her home, if Black Canary called Artemis, but the blood is off her and all that remains is the dirt. She takes a long shower, the water is almost too hot to stand but she stays still under it anyway. Let it melt her muscles and her hair into nothing. At least then maybe she wouldn't feel like shit.

It's another month of worry for Doctor Fate, she hasn't seen them in a long time, but Batman quietly assured her long ago that if Doctor Fate was ever harmed, she would be their first call. Not that he can't take care of himself, but he's taking care of two.

She tries the college thing, tries to forget about being Zatanna of The Justice League, Superhero with an MIA dad who sacrificed it all for her. She tries being normal. She meets Dick Grayson and his adopted brother Tim and his sister, Barbara Gordon. They took a picture with her and told her in a few years they'd all smile at it. She's not sure she will. Life moves on, the team grows and the League continues to protect Earth. Couples begin and end, and it all feels repetitive. She used to tell her dad everything, and told him he worried about her too much.

Maybe she didn't worry about him enough.

* * *

 

She wakes up to a possible end of the world, the news is telling the Earth that the entire Justice League is fighting the new villain, but her heart drops a thousand feet when she sees that Doctor Fate isn't among them. There's a snap, single knock at the door. Artemis knocks differently so she looks through the peep hole before she almost rips the door off in her hurry to get it open.

"Zatanna." The voice is cordial and then she hears a voice she hasn't heard in years.

"Zatanna." It's the same word as before but it's her dad, it's his voice.

"I love you. I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry." She wraps her arms around him, she doesn't care about Doctor Fate she cares about her father.

"Fate's only allowed me to speak. I've been here, I've always been here. You need to be more careful." Her dad says and tears prick in her eyes. It doesn't matter that the world could end, or that she's not part of the League, what matters is that her dad is home for however long.

"I have a few hours to talk." He says, two voices coming out of the same mouth.

"What about the bad guy?" Zatanna asks.

"The rest of the League can handle it. I'm more worried about you." Her dad says and her eyes sting as tears she's held in for years begin to escape as she speaks as quickly as possible.

* * *

 

finis.


End file.
